ETH News

Researchers of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and ETH Zurich have created the first full connectivity map of the human immune system, showing how immune cells communicate with each other and ways to modulate these pathways in disease.

Like bridges and tall buildings, large mountains are constantly vibrating, excited by seismic energy form the Earth. An international team of researchers has now been able to measure the resonant swaying of the Matterhorn and make its motion visible using computer simulations.

World’s most highly cited scientists list includes 17 from ETH Zurich. Many of whom conduct cross-disciplinary research.

Climate scientists from around the world have just published an open letter on COP26.

Researchers propose a new framework for how satellite DNA, sometimes called “genomic junk,” is essential in the organization of chromosomes in cells. They suggest this quickly-evolving DNA is one reason different species are unable to successfully interbreed.

Scientifica will be held over the weekend of 4 and 5 September on the theme of “Synthetic naturally”. This year’s science festival from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich (UZH) offers a bigger programme than ever before, and will now also include the Irchel and Hönggerberg campuses.

At its meeting of 19 and 21 March 2021 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed nine professors and awarded the title of professor once. Among the new appointees is a Swiss Nobel laureate.

Making agriculture climate-neutral has a high cost – which some rich countries might be willing to accept, ETH Zurich researchers find.

ETH Zurich and University of California Santa Barbara researchers reveal the extent to which rivers across the USA are losing flow to aquifers.

Great honour for ETH professor Nicola Spaldin: the European Commission has elected the materials researcher as a member of the ERC Science Council.

Most people underestimate exponential growth, including when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus. The ability to grasp the magnitude of exponential growth depends on the way in which it is communicated. Using the right framing helps to understand the benefit of mitigation measures.

The national library platform Swisscovery gives users access to the full range of scientific resources from 470 libraries in Switzerland. Swisscovery is run by Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP). The project was initiated by the ETH Library.

Ruedi Aebersold, a professor of molecular systems biology at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, is to receive the Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist. Aebersold is being honoured for the part he has played in founding and advancing the field of proteomics, a branch of biology that is seen as the foundation of the personalised medicine of tomorrow.

How should Europe organise its renewable energy supply network – on a continental, national or regional level? It's a controversial issue. A Swiss-German research team has analysed the costs and technical feasibility of supply networks of various sizes.

Actively restored forests recover above ground biomass faster than areas left to regenerate naturally after being logged, according to a long-term study on Borneo lowland rainforest led by the University of Dundee, Aberdeen and ETH Zurich. 

Olga Fink develops artificial intelligence algorithms for industrial assets, rolling stock and power plants. The 37-year-old researcher's goal is to predict rare events before they even occur. By doing so, she improves the reliability and service life of complex industrial assets.

Research recently published in the journal “Science” has shown that lockdown measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 lead to a 50% reduction in seismic noise observed around the world in early to mid-2020.

ETH scientists have responded to the coronavirus pandemic by developing a low-cost ventilator that should help to alleviate the shortage of such equipment in emerging and developing countries. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) is now offering start-up financing for the project enabling production to commence in Ukraine.

A research team from ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen counted over 136,000 rockfalls on the moon caused by asteroid impacts. Even billions of years old landscapes are still changing.

In response to these exceptional times, the monthly ETH Podcast will appear as a series of short items dealing with various aspects of the novel form of coronavirus and all its ramifications. We’ll be starting with ETH President Joël Mesot.

Researchers have used cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate for the first time the structure and function of a very small enzyme embedded in cell membranes. This enzyme builds complex sugar trees that are subsequently attached to other membrane proteins. The findings could accelerate the development of new, protein-based medications.

The health care system places a greater emphasis on the treatment of diseases than the root causes of health. On the invitation of the Life Science Zurich (LSZ) Business Network, science, business and society recently discussed this challenge.

Microbial communities are known to be indispensable for our planet. But surprisingly little is known about how they function. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology and ETH Zurich are now shedding a little light on this subject.

The year 2019 has certainly been a busy one at ETH. A new president took office and the second Sci-Tech Oscar was awarded, along with other major prizes, but there were also plenty of inventions and topics for discussion.

At its meeting of 11/12 December 2019 and upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Joël Mesot, the ETH Board appointed a total of 19 professors. Three scientists were awarded the title of professor.

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich have developed a micromachine that can perform different actions. First nanomagnets in the components of the microrobots are magnetically programmed and then the various movements are controlled by magnetic fields. Such machines, which are only a few tens of micrometres across, could be used, for example, in the human body to perform small operations.

Energy systems, cryptography and computer-aided simulation; interactions between people, animals and landscape, investigation of biosystems from the human brain to the nanometer scale: the incoming professors work in a wide range of cutting-edge research fields. Three ETH professors will soon leave the university.

Universities play an increasingly important role in society creating an environment where talents, like graduate student David Yenicelik, thrive. A co-founder of Skilllab, Yenicelik develops artificial intelligence to uncover roadmaps that guide refugees on how to integrate into local labour markets.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have shown for the first time that selective release of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline reconfigures communication between large-scale networks in the brain. Their findings provide insights into rapid neural processes that occur in the brain during stressful situations.

The video on Master’s study that ETH Zurich launched on Monday was viewed 60,000 times on YouTube in the first 24 hours alone. And it stirred emotions – positive and, above all, negative.

What happens when a hip-hopper roams ETH and meets the students? Of course, they rap together. And while they’re about it, you get to learn a lot about the Master's programmes.

Earth sciences and chemistry, computer and materials science, nutrition and architecture: the incoming professors work in a wide range of very timely research fields. Seven ETH professors will soon leave the university.

Sleeping sickness-causing parasites contain an unusual protein synthesis machinery. A team of researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Berne resolved its very special structure for the first time.

Designed on a computer and built with the help of robots: ETH students studying for the MAS in Architecture and Digital Fabrication have built a wooden pergola to turn the sun-baked terrace at the Istituto Svizzero in Rome into a pleasant, shady spot. Their project demonstrates the potential that digital fabrication holds for wooden buildings.

At its meeting of 4/5 July 2018 and upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Lino Guzzella, the ETH Board appointed 9 professors.

Upon application of ETH President Lino Guzzella, the ETH Board has appointed ten new professors, four of whom are women.

A recently published paper in Science, written by a team of the Swiss Seismological Service at ETH Zurich and collaborators from the Engineering Geology group at ETH, GFZ Potsdam and the Glasgow University, explores the potential link between a magnitude 5.5 earthquake in South Korea and a nearby geothermal project.

The ETH Zurich Foundation details pleasing results in its new annual report, showcasing important programmes and initiatives that were funded thanks to generous donations.

In response to the proposals received from the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Lino Guzzella, the ETH Board resolved at its meeting of 7/8 March 2018 to appoint a total of eight professors and award the title of professor to three individuals; it also acknowledged the resignation of 13 professors and thanked them for their services.

An international team of scientists has created a new database of molecular dynamics models that simulate the properties of cement in all its varieties. It’s intended to help fine-tune this component of concrete and curtail emissions in its manufacturing process.

The ETH Board appointed 5 new professors upon application of ETH President Lino Guzzella.

SpaceX held its second Hyperloop pod competition yesterday in Los Angeles. The Swissloop team including ETH students achieved an outstanding third place finish.

Upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Lino Guzzella, at its meeting of 28/29 September 2016 the ETH Board appointed nine professors and took note of the resignation of 3 professors and thanked them for their services.

The deuteron — one of the simplest atomic nuclei, consisting of just one proton and one neutron — is considerably smaller than previously thought. This finding was arrived at by an international research group.

Last week the 11th "venture" startup competition drew to a close with an awards ceremony for the submitted projects. The winner in the Business Idea category was theMOFcompany, a startup from ETH Zurich, the Paul Scherrer Institute and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

Behaviors caused by traumatic experiences in early life are reversible. Researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich could demonstrate that environmental enrichment allows trauma-related symptoms in mice to be reversed. This is the first evidence that positive environmental factors can correct behavioral alterations which would otherwise be transmitted to the offspring. 

Researchers at ETH have shown for the first time what happens to atomic vibrations when materials are nanosized and how this knowledge can be used to systematically engineer nanomaterials for different applications.

Individual bacterial cells have short memories. But groups of bacteria can develop a collective memory that can increase their tolerance to stress. This has been demonstrated experimentally for the first time in a study by Eawag and ETH Zurich scientists published in PNAS.

It has long been known that the protein TOR – Target of Rapamycin – controls cell growth and is involved in the development of diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Through a collaborative effort scientists from the ETH Zürich and from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have now succeeded in revealing the unique architecture of the mammalian TOR complex 1 (mTORC1) in detail. Their results have been reported in the latest issue of “Science”.

A research team has observed structures racing out from the centre of a young star's debris disk at high speeds. It is still unclear what causes the phenomenon.

Upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Lino Guzzella, at its meeting of 23/24 September 2015 the ETH-Board appointed 12 individuals as professors.

During their formation within the cells, many proteins rely on the assistance of protectors, so-called chaperones. They help the proteins to fold correctly and thus ensure the right final structure. The roles of chaperones in membrane protein folding have long remained unclear. Researchers at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, and at ETH Zurich now show how chaperones stabilize an immature bacterial membrane protein and guide it in the right folding direction, thus protecting it from misfolding.

Monte Verità, or the "Mountain of Truth", was recently the setting for an international gathering of historians, aimed at finding new patterns of interpretation for the period between 1980 and 2010. David Gugerli, a Professor of History of Technology at ETH and conference co-organiser, discusses the bold conference format and key findings from the meeting.

Among the great research challenges for the future will be the efficient use of resources and the provision of healthy and safe food. Further details are given in a new study carried out by the World Food System Center at ETH Zurich commissioned by the Federal Office for Agriculture. An interview with ETH professor Nina Buchmann, chair of the World Food System Center and co-author of the report.

Active galactic nuclei are the brightest objects in the universe. They are not lit up permanently, but rather ‘flicker’ extremely slowly. This insight helps ETH researchers better understand the influence these nuclei and black holes have on their host galaxy.

As of October 1, 2015, Rainer Borer will be the new head of Corporate Communication of ETH Zurich. At the age of 52, he will join ETH after leaving the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) where he was responsible for strategic communication. Before joining FINMA he headed for eight years the economy editorial staff of Swiss public radio SRF.

The "Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism / Architecture Shenzhen" is the largest of its kind. This year, the ETH professors of architecture Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner are part of the four-person curatorial team. An interview with the two co-curators.

Every year, the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT) awards the Aurel Stodola Medal to an outstanding scientist in the discipline. Mauro Ferrari, who researches and teaches in the field of nanomedicine at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, is honoured this year. He will speak about his research on April 1 at ETH Zurich.

The spinal cord transmits pain signals to the brain. But not all the impulses arrive at their destination: Certain neurons act as checkpoints and determine whether a pain signal is relayed or not. Researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich identified these neurons. Moreover, they developed means to specifically activate these neurons, which reduces not only pain – but astonishingly also alleviates itch.

Adolf Muschg, emeritus professor of ETH Zurich, received the Swiss Grand Prix Literatur award for his complete literary works on Thursday. Federal Councillor Alain Berset honoured the writer at the ceremony of the Swiss literary awards. 

Search for asteroids, observe birds or make the computing power of your own computer available: through ‘citizen science’, citizens can participate in various research projects. This week, a workshop takes place at ETH Zurich. Effy Vayena, bioethicist at the University of Zurich and co-organiser of the workshop in an interview.

The mechanical engineer Thomas Cooper developed for his PhD thesis a solar power system of cost-effective parabolic trough concentrators coupled to high-efficiency photovoltaic cells. He was awarded the Hans-Eggenberger-Preis 2014.

Today, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is presenting the Watt d’Or energy prize in the Energy-efficient mobility category to the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control. This award is in recognition of the technology the institute has developed in collaboration with Carrosserie Hess AG.

Programmable cells that can detect cancer, canyons on Mars that may have been formed by lava, and black holes catapulted out of the centre of a galaxy: ETH researchers made a name for themselves in 2014 with some outstanding scientific achievements and exciting hypotheses. It was also a politically charged year for all Swiss research institutions. As the year draws to a close, the ETH News editorial team looks back on some of the most memorable moments.

Upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Ralph Eichler, at its meeting of 10/11 December 2014 the ETH Board appointed eight individuals as professors, took note of the departure of one professor and thanked him for his services, and awarded the title of professor to one individual. The ETH Board also bade farewell to the President of ETH Zurich.  

Science short and sweet: During a Polybahn journey from Zurich Central to ETH Zurich, ETH-scientists have about 100 seconds to inspire the audience with their research. Today: Annette Oxenius, Professor for Immunology at ETH Zurich.

Critical infrastructure systems are the backbone of society and ever growing in complexity and interconnectedness. A new research programme kicked off at the Singapore-ETH Centre strives to increase their robustness and resilience.

ETH Zurich joins a network of top education institutions to bridge the gap between engineering sciences and medicine through its collaboration with the Amgen Foundation Scholars Program.

In its meeting today, the Federal Council approved the agreement on Switzerland’s participation in the Horizon 2020 research programme. The agreement covers Switzerland’s partial association to the programme between 15 September 2014 and 31 December 2016.

In 1964, Max Frisch published a new novel, “Gantenbein”. To mark the novel’s 50th anniversary, the Max Frisch Archive at the ETH-Bibliothek is holding an exhibition in its honour.

With a new therapeutic product, researchers have managed to cure arthritis in mice for the first time. The scientists are now planning to test the efficacy of the drug in humans.

CRUS und SNSF are collecting data with regard to the non-association in Horizon 2020. The science community can participate.

The ETH spin-off Selfnation, which offers women’s made-to-measure jeans over the internet, impressed the jury of venture kick’s young entrepreneur competition and won one of two sponsorship awards worth CHF 130,000.

The SNSF is planning to launch a call for SNSF Advanced Grants in mid-August. They are part of the "Temporary Backup Schemes" and replace the ERC Advanced Grants.

The listed building complex of the machine laboratory/district heating plant will be renovated and extended: for this and for other renovations and new buildings, the Federal Council is applying to Parliament for 233.4 million francs.

After a large stroke, motor skills barely improve, even with rehabilitation. An experiment conducted on rats demonstrates that a course of therapy combining the stimulation of nerve fiber growth with drugs and motor training can be successful. The key, however, is the correct sequence: Paralyzed animals only make an almost complete recovery if the training is delayed until after the growth promoting drugs have been administered.

The annual Study Week took place at ETH Zurich from 2 to 6 June, giving upper secondary-school students the chance to work on projects alongside scientists and find out about studying at ETH.

At its meeting of 21 and 22 May 2014, the ETH Board appointed ten professors at ETH Zurich in accordance with the applications submitted by the President of ETH Zurich.

In the framework of the EU-project Solarjet, scientists demonstrate for the first time the entire production path to liquid hydrocarbon fuels from water, CO₂ and solar energy. The key technological component is a solar reactor developed at ETH Zurich.

ETH Zurich steps up its activities on social media platforms and complements its existing channels with its first official appearance on Facebook and Google+.

When ruminants digest, they exhale methane. Their contribution to this global greenhouse gas is considerable. So far the assumption had been that camels with similar digestion produce the same amount of the climate-damaging gas. However, researchers have now shown camels release less methane than ruminants.

Electric vehicles that are able to park and charge themselves could contribute to sustainable mobility in the future. In an EU-funded research project coordinated by ETH Zurich, scientists work on new concepts of transportation and low-cost technologies that enable driverless valet parking and charging.

The fundamental laws of thermodynamics do not apply to objects on the nanoscale to the extent they do in our macroscopic world. A team of researchers describe how heat can transfer from cold to hot objects in the nanoworld.

ETH Zurich does not abandon its students. For almost all problems there is always a port of call, for instance an academic adviser or coach. However, the fear of failure is still considerable.

Since the end of last year, Switzerland has boasted the most powerful supercomputer in Europe: “Piz Daint”. As of today, it is officially cleared for research. For the approval, “early science” has already been conducted successfully on “Piz Daint” over the last few weeks.

A festival in May will promote cultural and scientific exchange between the cities of Zurich and New York. ETH plays a major part in the Zurich meets New York festival.

We are constantly on the go in both the real and the virtual world. The spring edition of ETH’s popular science programme "Treffpunkt Science City" looks at the breadth and borders, and opportunities and risks of our global total mobility.

At its meeting of 5 and 6 March 2014, the ETH Board appointed four new professors at ETH Zurich in accordance with the applications submitted by the ETH President Ralph Eichler.

Whether a tumour develops from individual cancer cells and whether metastases are formed depends on many factors in the affected tissue. Researchers at the University of Zurich and at ETH Zurich have come up with an imaging method that is able to simultaneously visualize a previously unachieved number of factors involved in cancer.

After a stroke, sufferers are often faced with the problem of severe movement impairment. Researchers of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich have now discovered that the brainstem could play a major role in the recovery of motor functions.

From 19 February to 13 April 2014 the Collection of prints and drawings shows «Books & Prints» von Erik Steinbrecher.

An international research team led by scientists at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich has succeeded in improving a class of early-generation antibiotics: they have been able to suppress their once serious side effects.

As 2013 comes to an end, one is inclined to say that it went by in a flash. The ETH News editorial team reminisces about the most tense, exciting, difficult and not least satisfying moments of the past year. With this recollection, the editorial team says goodbye to take a short holiday break between 23 December to 5 January and wishes all of its readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The technical systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated. In order to exploit the full potential of technology, however, efficient control systems are needed. Entitled “Everything under control”, the newest issue of Globe, the magazine of ETH Zurich and ETH Alumni, explores this topic.

At its meeting of 4 and 5 December 2013, the ETH Board appointed 5 professors at ETH Zurich in accordance with the applications submitted by Ralph Eichler, President of the Executive Board.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a novel control algorithm that allows quadrocopters to continue to fly in spite of multiple motor or propeller failures. This algorithm makes these vehicles safer and may allow them to be used for instance in delivery services.

For its simulations of imploding cloud cavitation bubbles, a team of scientists was awarded the prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for high-performance computing.

For the first time, researchers from ETH Zurich have succeeded in analysing the interplay between enzymes and their cofactors at an unprecedented resolution, thereby providing fresh insights into how one of the most common cofactors in nature works.

To mark the centenary of the art-collector and paediatrician Robert Landolt, the Graphische Sammlung ETH is holding an exhibition of 80 works from his collection of historical drawings.

At ETH Zurich, on October 31, leading scientists paid tribute to the achievements of Heinrich Rohrer. The Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics and ETH alumnus passed away earlier this year.